Sound reproducing apparatus



March 29, 1960 R. l.. BANHoLzER 2,930,624

SOUND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Fled'Feb. 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A 7'TENEY,

March 29, 1960 Filed Feb. 1'7, 1955 R. L. BANHOLZER SOUND REPRODUCINGAPPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nited States Patent SOUND REPRODUCINGAPPARATUS Robert L. Banholzer, Milwaukee, Wis. Application February 17,1955, Serial No. 488,940

2 Claims. (Cl. 274-46) This invention relates to improvements in soundreproducing apparatus.

Previously disclosed apparatus as shown, for instance, in U.S. LettersPatent No. 1,710,692 to Cregier has been provided so that a personseated at the console of an instrument no more complicated as tokeyboard than the simplest piano may play unusual compositions not onlyin the tones of strings, but also in the tones of voice, windinstruments or any other recordable sound. However, in previously knownapparatus for this general purpose, the recording discs, cylinders ortapes simultaneously installed has been necessarily large.

It is an important feature of my invention that ample pick-up andreproducing mechanism can be mounted to operate with a single plate ordisc record so that any established number of tones of a particularquality or characteristic voice or instrument, or combination of themcan be embodied in one record and picked up or reproduced with a minimumof complication.

The object of the invention is to make it possible to consolidate thenecessary parts of an apparatus for this purpose, in a relatively smallspace, to increase the accuracy of operation thereof, and in general, toreduce the ultimate cost of manufacture and operation of what hasheretofore been a very complicated, large and expensive instrument.

One of the important features of my invention is the concentration of asmany pick-up reproducers as are necessary (for instance, 88 tocorrespond with a standard piano type keyboard) in a single bridgeapparatus over a disc record to reproduce all of the tones for theplaying of a musical composition.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a record player showing my radially armedbridge carrier for the many pick-up needle units in accord with myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the console of a musical instrumentembodying my invention.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuit between thekeyboard, the pick-up units as arranged on my radial bridge, theamplifierV and speaker of my invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in vertical section showing a preferred formof pick-up unit as carried by a bridge arm in operative relation to adisc record, the view being taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a pick-up unit shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing an alternative form ofneedle carrier and actuator.

Fig. 8 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary vertical section through thekeyboard portion of the console shown in Fig. 3. The electric switchapparatus below a key being a normally open switch of the type to beused with the pick-up device shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, but showing a normally closed switchof the type used with the pick-up unit shown in Fig. 7.

prising a recorded sound representing a musical note of certaincharacteristics and certain pitch, so that when a pick-up unit 35 withits needle 36 is brought to bear upon or in the particular groove, forinstance, as shown in groove 26 in Fig. 10, a sustained tone may beplayed in reproduction of any quality or timbre as, for instance,l

the human voice, a violin or any other recorded vibration. Furthermore,in accord with my invention, a record such as the record 25 may be usedin a relatively compact phonographic reproducing unit 37 installed at aconven` ient location in a console 38 as shown in Fig. 3, where Iprovide a full 88 key keyboard 39 in simulation of a con-v ventionalpiano keyboard. Below the keyboard and'in the space usually occupied bythe sound board and action mechanism of a conventional piano, I installan amplifier 40 and a suitable loud speaker 41. To control volume, apedal 42 is connected to the usual volume control lever or button of theamplifier 40. The particular man-` ner in which the various units areelectrically connected is shown in Fig. 4 and willvbe described below inconnec tion with the description of operation of the complete apparatus.p

One of the most important features of my invention is the arrangement ofthe annular grooves 26, 27, etc., very closely together, and theprovision of pick-up units 3,5l on a multi-armed bridge member 45 sothat the octaves of the chromatic scale are consolidated on one recordof reasonable diameter. r The particular record shown in the drawings issixteen inches in diameter, and in order to record the 88 tones, thegrooves must be so close together that successive tonesof the chromaticscale cannot be picked up by pick-up units 35 arranged successivelyside'by side on onesup porting arm. The units 35 are too wide to beaccommodated on one arm. I have met this problem by providing amulti-armed bridge member 45 hingedly carried upon hinge brackets 46, 47and 48 supported by housing `49, which encloses motor 50 and speedreducer 51 included as a part of the driving mechanism for turntable.52, which carries and rotates the record 25. Bridge member 45 includeseight radial arms 53-60 respectively. Arms 5S, 59 and 60 having outerextremities shaped to engage with hinge brackets 46, 47, and 48respectively. As to the outer extremities of theother arms 53 to 57inclusive, they are provided with Lshaped downwardly extendedextremities terminating vin dowel tips 61 receivable in pocketed posts62 (see Fig. y2)' whereby the entire bridge, even though swingableupwardly upon the hinge supports at 46, 47 and 48 to permit of thechanging of a record, may be positively accurately positioned above therecord for a record playing operation. The individual arms forming thebridge 45 are channel shaped as Shown most clearly in Figs. 5 to 7inclusive, and they merge centrally in a cup-shaped hub 63 openingupwardly so that the hub and the upwardly openingv channels of the armsprovide a conduit to carry wires whichinterconnect the units 35 and theamplifier as described below. In the particular arrangement of eightradial bridge arms, the tone grooves of the record are arranged insuccessive groups of eight.

As shown in Fig. 10, pick-up unit 35 located at 65 on arm 53 will holdits needle 36 in position to engage Patented Mar. 29,

t which armature 114 is mounted to oscillate;

aes-0,624-

in groove`m26, 'the groove farthest vfrom the center of record. Thepick-up unit positioned to apply its needle in groove 27 and thesuccessive pick-up units 35 located at ,67, 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72 arepositioned to present their needles' into successive grooves in order,the needle of unit 35 positioned at 72 bearing into groove 29, the nextpick-up unit 35r positioned immediately adjacent the' unit positioned at65 on arm 53 hasa needle bearing into recordl groove y30, this unit ispositioned at 75. Thus immediately adjacent units on any of the armshaveseven record grooves between their respective needles, and thepick-up units 35 find ample space upon the respective arms so that theunits may be mounted for ready access, repair and operation.

Details ofthe construction and mounting of the specilicl units 35 areshown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, a preferred form being shown in Figs. and 6,where it will be seen that the arm, such as arrn 53, has a unit securedimmediately therebeneath. The unit has a generallyJ- shaped frame 85made of llat brass or other suitable material and secured to the arm byscrew 86. An electromagnetic coil 87 with core 88 is secured in theembrace of the J frame by a screw 89 which also holds spring bracket 90.A side wall 91 for the unit carries a pivot pinl 92 upon which rockertype armature 93 is pivotly mounted. This armature has a spring tension94 so shaped as to underlie the end of the J frame and extendtherebeyond suiiciently so that a tension spring 97 between springbracket 90 and the extension 94 may be relied upon to normally biasarmature 93 to the position' shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Since needle 36carried by this particular pick-up unit extends downwardly from thearmature at a point spaced somewhat from the pivot pin 92 opposite' theportion of the armature which is in position to be magneticallyattracted to core 88 when the coil 87 is energized, it will be apparentthat upon energization of the coil, the armature will be rotated in adirection which will extend the spring 97 and will lower the point ofthe needle 36 into a groove of the record 25.

Thus the particular unit shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is designed to benormally deenergized and to present a needle 36 into a record groove forsound reproduction when the Lcal circuit controll as in Fig. 8, arenormally open as key will cause the points 123 and 124 to contact onecoil 87 is energized. Suitable cushioning means as, for

instance, at 98 is provided to dampen'noise incident to the mechanicaloperation of the unit.

- It will be seen that the electrical connections for energizing thecoil 87 extend at 99 from the coil into the' channel of arm 53 and thecumulative wires from the respective units 35 are included in a cablelittlextending to the vicinity of the keyboard as will be describedbelow. Furthermore, suitable electrical connections as shown at 101extend from the needle 36 and its pick-up apparatus carried by thearmature `93 to the cable 102 in channel 53 and extending to theamplifier 40 as will be described below.

An alternative form of pick-up unit is shown in Fig. 7. It includes aframe 110 secured by screw 111 to the undersideI of an arm such as arm53. A side wall 112 of the frame provides a mounting for pivot pin 113upon Coil 115 is normally energized and the parts as shown in Fig. 7 areinv the position which they take when the coil is deenergized. Here thearmature 114 has dropped by gravity so that the needle 36 is bearing ina groove of the record. When the coil is energized, the core 116magnetically pulls the armature 114 upwardly in an oscillating movementabout pin 113, thus retracting needle 36 from a record groove.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the console of my instrumenty is providedwith piano-like keys 12u pivoted at 121,l and each provided with aspring 122 to normally hold the key in horizontal position. In positionto be operated by the key 120 when it is pressed downwardly, isa set ofpoints 123 and 124 which, in the vtype of electrianother and complete acircuit through wires 127 and 128. Such a circuit operated by aparticular mechanism shown in Fig. 8, is adapted for the control of apick-up unit 35, such as that shown in Figs. 5 and 6. A stop 129prevents the key from over-stressing the spring blades.

The key 123 shown in Fig. 9 is in position over a set of points 139 and131 so mounted on theirrespective spring blades `132-133 as to benormally in contact with one another, thus lnormally maintaining aclosed circuit through electrical connections 134-1135, and the key 120is provided with a switch actuator 135 to bear upon blade 133 when thekey is depressed in a playing operation.

It willlbeunderstood although the Figs. 8 and 9 showl white keys' of thepiano-like keyboard, the switches underneath the black keys of thekeyboard operate similarly.v

The diagrammatic, and somewhat schematic, view of the physical' andelectrical hookup of my instrument as shown 'in Fig. 4 indicates theeleven pick-up units 35 on one bridge arm, such as bridge arm 53, and itmay be assumed that each of the radially indicated pairs of wires in theupper right hand portion of Fig. 4 serve the arms designated Iby thecharacters 54 to 60 inclusive. Centrally in the hub 63 of the bridge,there is located a bus bar to which there is a pick-up lead 141 fromeach channel of each bridge armand this lead 141 comprises an electricalconnection for one side of each needle pickup. The other side of each ofthe needle pick-ups is connected electrically to a lead 142 extending tobus bar 143 in the hub 63. Bus bar 140 is connected to the amplifier byan electrical connection 144, and bus bar v143 is connected to theamplifier 4by connection .145.

Thus at any time that anyone of the needles 36 bears in a groove of therecord 25, sound reproduction is accomplished.

Energy for the operation of the various units 35 is derived from asourcey of ldirect current as indicated at 150, a ground lead thereforbeing shown at 1511 extended along arm 53 for connection to each of thecoils as, for instance, each coil 8'7. The other electrical lead foreach of the coils extends from the coil to one of the switches under oneof the keys of the piano-like keyboard. The keyboard is shown in generalat 39 in Fig. 4, and, illustratively, one of the black keys as at 152 isconnected to a coil 154 by wire 153. When black key 152 is depressed tocomplete a circuit through a switch controlling wire 153, current willilow through a supply wire 155 from the source through the switch underthe key 152 through wire 153 to energize coil 154 and cause the needleof the unit 35, controlled by coil 154, to engage in a groove; thusinaugurating the reproduction of sound through the amplifier 4u andspeaker 41. As soon as the key 152 is released, the coil 154 isdeenergized and the needle is retracted from the groove by spring 97.

It will be understood that each of the arms S31-6i) inclusive isprovided with electrical connections as shown at the left in Fig. 4, andthat each of the keys of the keyboard 39 has an individual electricalconnection to a coil of one of the units 35 on one of the arms.

In operation, the user of my instrument will raise the bridge 45hingedly about the hinges 46, 47-48 sufciently to permit a record to belaid accurately, concentrically with the turntable. lf necessary, thebridge 45 may be swung through an arc about the hinges to a position inwhich an abutment I16u as seen in Fig. 2 will support the bridge in itsupper position while the record is beingl changed or placed. n Then thebridge is lowered hingedly so that the dowels 6'1 are accuratelypositioned in the posts 62 for accurate placement and support of thebridge during the playing of the instrument.

Motor 50 may then be energized to rotate the turntable and the source ofdirect current at 150 may be established by a switch 161. Theenergization of the operating circuit also energizes a signal light 162placed in a convenient spot in the console 38 (see Figs. 3 and 4). Theinstrument is then ready for operation by anyone adequately skilled toplay a piano-like instrument. Assuming that the record has 88 groovesproviding the chromatic scale as recorded by a violin, the playing ofthe keyboard 39 in a manner comparable to the playing of a piano willcause the selected keys, as played, to bring the corresponding needlesof units 35 down into the grooves for the playing separately orsimultaneously of recorded sounds pitched according to the particulargroove or grooves engaged by the needles.

The radial array of pick-up units 35 is thus seen to permit of theplaying of all of the 88 grooves from one record by one bridgearrangement concentrated in a manner not heretofore possible.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a frame supportedphonographic record playing apparatus Ihaving a revoluble turntableprovided with an area for reception of a disc shaped record, a recordpositionable on said turntable and equipped with a multiplicity ofclosely spaced annular sound tracks, said apparatus having a framepositioned armed bridge including a hub concentric with said turntableand a multiple of arms extending therefrom over said area, said armsbeing provided with pickup units closely mounted therealong, one of saidunits being positioned to interact with one of said annular sound tracksand the unit positioned to interact with the next adjacent annular trackbeing mounted on another of said arms.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the armed bridge has hinge meansconnecting the extremities of at least two of said arms to the frame,and at least two others of said arms are provided at their extremitieswith positioning means swingably interengageable with the frame foraccurate swingable placement of the bridge over said area.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 802,135Bryant Oct. 17, 1905 1,326,955 Mueller Jan. 6, 1920 1,710,692 CregierApr. 30, 1929 1,734,675 Hull Nov. 5, 1929 2,224,358 Quisling Dec.10,1940 2,416,135 Appleby Feb. 18, 1947 2,468,224 Munson Apr. 26, 19492,539,130 Grudin Jan. 23, 1951 2,554,582 Mallina May 29, 1951 2,685,772Proctor Aug. 10, 1954 2,690,340 Harrison et al Sept. 28, 1954

